The severity of drought conditions during the demise of the Maya civilisation about one thousand years ago has been quantified, representing another piece of evidence that could be used to solve the longstanding mystery of what caused the downfall of one of the ancient world’s great civilisations.

This week, medical uses of cannabis. We hear from the people who grow it, those studying it and the people who want to use it. Plus in the news, scientists grow replacement lungs in a lab and why a knock on the head can lead to dementia years later.

Millions of Syrian children are being educated in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In 2014 Hiba Salem left her Damascus home to gain the qualifications needed to contribute to a generation facing formidable challenges within these host communities.